Share or not to share CA submissions

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by RoboMom007

Information is power. RE: the issue of "copying" another teams submission, well, isn't that in fact what we are suppose to be doing?

I think it's about empowerment. Chairman's award is about the work you're doing for your home regional, for FIRST, and it's about you being an inspiration to both, so it's about empowering other teams.

In addition, in my experience with FIRST, the robots are about inspiring other teams and tho many keep their robot aspects secret til competition, teams then share about their robot and other teams incorporate parts into their own future robots...I think "CA" applications are like that. If you want to choose to keep them to yourself til you've won *shrug* ok, but if you keep it to yourself after winning an award for being a role model team to all other FIRST'rs, why wouldn't you want to publicize what you're doing and inspire other teams with it?

I don't think it's possible to copy a Chairman's Award submission and win. You can take ideas and inspiration from those before you, but to have a compelling submission and win requires real effort...As to the concern some teams may have about their work being pirated for the following year's submission, realize that they would be copying your now year-old template and strategy. Back to the subject of FIRST's spirit, isn't making your CA submission available to other teams a token of gracious professionalism? I say if you have work you feel is worth copying, put it out there to help less experienced teams see what kind of things your team has done.

I agree and...
it's not only about letting less experienced teams see what you've done. One of the criteria is "innovative ways" to spread the FIRST message. Experienced teams will learn from published CA awards from across the WORLD.